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NBA Picks

NBA Picks: Timberwolves to take Lakers ATS

Tip-off for the Lakers vs. Timberwolve is scheduled for tonight at 9:30 pm ET at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. See who we like for our free picks in tonight’s contest between these teams.

The Minnesota Timberwolves (4-2) appear to be in the right
spot to break their 22 game losing streak to the Los Angeles Lakers (3-4) as
Kevin Love is playing like an MVP and aging superstar, Kobe Bryant is
sidelined.

According to Bet 365 Sportsbook, the T-Wolves are listed as
a 3.5 point betting odds favorite and the total for the game is 208.

Might we be seeing a 7 year long losing streak being snapped
tonight?

“Coming Back To Cali”

Former UCLA Bruin, Kevin Love, is coming back to his old
stomping grounds in California and there’s a great possibility that he’s going
to wreak havoc on the “Kobe-less” Los Angeles Lakers.

Lebron James might be the best player on the planet, but
right now, Kevin Love is playing the best basketball in the NBA. Love is
averaging 27.2 points, 14.7 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. After a
convincing win over Dallas, Love has propelled the Wolves into being one of the
better teams in the league. The evidence is there; without him last season,
they were a losing team and now they’re betting favorites on the road against
the famed Los Angeles Lakers.

Look for Love to put a beating on the Lakers defense. Pau
Gasol has seen better days and there’s absolutely nobody on the Lakers rosters
that can stop the 5 year veteran.

As a big man, Love also gets other teammates involved. He’s
averaging 6 assists in his last 4 games.

Reviving a Career

Kevin Martin had always been a “one trick pony”, but was a
reliable 20 point per game scorer in the early parts of his career with Sacramento.
In his last couple of seasons with Houston and then with OKC his production had
tailed off and he was very inconsistent. The move to Minnesota has basically
revived his career when playing with a ball distributor like Ricky Rubio.
Martin is averaging 23.3 points per game this season and is another major
reason why the Timberwolves have improved. Look for another K-Mart 20 point
game against a bunch of role players that call themselves the Los Angeles
Lakers.

This Isn’t College

When you see a bunch of players that are clustered around 12
points per game or less, you’re usually looking at a defensive oriented team in
college such as Wisconsin. The Badgers have the defense to back it up, but
unfortunately for the Los Angeles Lakers, they don’t have quality defense or a
definitive “go to guy”.

The Lakers are allowing 105.6 points per game and their
leading scorer is Jodie Meeks at 12.3 points per game; this simply isn’t going
to cut it, especially against a team on the rise such as Minnesota.

Without Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol needs to step it up as the
elder statesman. Thus far, he’s been totally ineffective offensively, shooting
a pathetic 35.2 % from the field and averaging 12 points per game. Gasol is the
only legitimate player on this team with a past history of success and he needs
to “reclaim his game” where the Lakers are concerned. Don’t expect the change
to happen tonight as the Timberwolves are a team on the rise and full of
confidence.

[gameodds]5/247279/?r-1=19-43-349-192/us[/gameodds]

Outcome

Streaks can become psychological, but in this case, Los
Angeles doesn’t have the talent or the proper coaching to stop Kevin Love. Look
for Love to lead the way to a T-Wolves victory for our NBA picks and cover in his hometown.